Seared Tuna with Green Caper Sauce
Sauce:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced Kosher salt
- 3 cups packed spinach leaves trimmed of stems, washed
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced paper-thin
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon 1½ tablespoons capers, rinsed
- 6 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Four 5-ounce tuna steaks, approximately 1½ inches thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
- 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Instructions:
Serve this dish with Panisse with Tomatoes and Black Olives on the side.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the garlic in a small sauté pan over medium heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach, parsley leaves, and scallions and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the blanching water. Put the warm spinach mixture in a blender with the garlic, tarragon, capers, anchovies, and the reserved blanching water. Purée until smooth and with a sauce consistency; add more water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm.
- Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the tuna and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until a crisp brown crust forms, for rare. If you like your tuna cooked further, reduce the heat to medium and cook for a minute or so longer on each side. Remove from the pan and let rest for 3 minutes before serving.
- To serve, slice the tuna pieces in half across the grain, exposing the beautiful center, and arrange on four plates. Add the lemon juice to the sauce and pour next to the fish. (If you add the lemon juice earlier than just before serving, the sauce will turn olive green.) Sprinkle the tuna with the capers and garnish each plate with a sprig of parsley.